Name that Amish item

What is this?  I bought it at an Amish variety store in Adams County, Indiana, earlier this summer, for $3. To make things more fun, the first one to guess correctly wins a back issue of the Connection magazine. I have no idea if you’ll find this easy or difficult, but I’ll be checking back in on this post to see if anyone’s hit it–and…

Pony cart baseball-newest Amish sport?

Over the weekend the school age sons of a friend and I took scooters and a pony cart down to the local schoolhouse to work off some energy following a picnic. And in a flash of inspiration pony cart baseball was born. Pony Cart Baseball: Ingredients *One pony,with cart (A miniature horse should work too) *Any sort of rubber ball you can catch with your…

Falling asleep in church

Yesterday I attended an Amish church service in a friend’s district.  I only really fell asleep one time, during the ten-minute kneeling prayer near the very end. But I had at least roused myself by the time everyone stood up.  I clambered to my feet, but nearly keeled over sideways as I tried to shake the sleep out of my head. I can only imagine…

Do you believe in natural remedies?

Boy was I wiped out yesterday. I’m not sure if it was a stomach bug or something I ate (I did spend the morning munching on raw mint sprigs while composting a friend’s berry garden) but whatever it was put a hurting on me. Seeing my pain, my Amish hosts whipped up a couple of home remedies. After trying the first with no discernible effect,…

Kentucky Amish Mug Shots

The big story last week was the imprisonment of 8 Kentucky Amishmen for not displaying the Slow Moving Vehicle triangle on their buggies. Back in June we covered this issue with a lot of discussion on the implications of the case.  It’s an issue of freedom and safety, similar in a sense to controversies over raw milk or vaccines, and one that brings out strong…

10 views of northern Indiana Amish

After yesterday’s Arthur Amish photos, here’s another ten–from the northern Indiana Amish of Elkhart and Lagrange Counties. I’ll be taking all next week off from posting (family vacation), but will return to a regular blogging schedule Monday Sep. 19.  In the meantime, we’re doing a little contest. I’ve got a few back issues of Amish magazine The Connection to give away (The Connection is headquartered…

Why don’t Amish discuss pregnancy?

Why don’t Amish discuss pregnancy?

Sarah writes:  I know pregnancy is a taboo subject in the Amish culture… what are the does and don’t when discussing? I have very close Amish friends. The woman is about 8 months pregnant by my estimate and today is the first day her husband has even acknowledged her pregnancy to me, and quite honestly, he only acknowledged it because she needs to go see…

Inside an Amish Stamp Shop

Inside an Amish Stamp Shop

Raber’s Stamp Shop 2467 County Road 600 Baltic, OH 43804 If you walk to the back of Raber’s Bookstore and hang a right, this is where you end up. The sister stamp shop to Raber’s is full of everything you need for some serious stamping. An entire wall of stamps. And some more.  Stamping is popular among Amish women in particular.   It’s not uncommon…